Poll: Malaysian Opposition Leader More ‘Qualified’ Than Incumbent

Malaysian voters are more likely to find charismatic opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim better “qualified” to be prime minister than incumbent Najib Razak, according to a poll released only days before the hotly contested May 5 elections.

Reuters

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, greeted by supporters on Wednesday in Petaling Jaya outside Kuala Lumpur, hopes to best the ruling National Front on May 5.

Asked who is more qualified, 43% of those surveyed picked Mr. Anwar while 39% chose Mr. Najib. Eighteen percent were undecided in the survey of 1,407 Malaysians conducted from April 3 to April 20. The poll’s margin of error was 2.4 percentage points.

The government quickly challenged the poll’s findings, pointing out that the Centre for Democracy and Elections at the Universiti Malaya (UMcedel), the top state -run university, didn’t release the exact wording of questions given to voters. UMcedel’s director stood by the poll, though declined to provide the its questions to The Wall Street Journal.

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Malaysian voters will determine whether to extend the National Front coalition’s half-century monopoly rule, which has brought economic gains but also fanned growing charges of graft within the administration. The opposition, led by Mr. Anwar, pledges to reduce fuel prices and rid the government of corruption.

The 65-year old Mr. Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, is giving his last shot at wresting power. The 13th general elections could be the closest ever in Malaysia’s history. In 2008, the opposition scored its best electoral gains when it denied the National Front a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

“The sentiment could change at any time right down to the polling day,” UMcedel Director Mohammad Redzuan Othman told The Wall Street Journal.

Though Mr. Mohammed’s survey showed Mr. Najib staying ahead of his challenger in several key categories, such as the leader who is a more “capable administrator,” the government appeared miffed by the findings.

“We keep reading commentary that the election will be very close, but this assumption appears to be based more on opposition press releases rather than credible opinion polls,” a government spokesman said.

Overall, 54% of total respondents see Mr. Najib as a “people-friendly” leader. On who is a capable administer, 49% said Mr. Najib while 46% chose Mr. Anwar.

Asked who is a “transparent and visionary” leader to develop Malaysia, Mr. Anwar had a slight edge, being picked by 38% of the respondents as compared to the 37% who chose Mr. Najib.

The government spokesman said Mr. Najib is “cautiously optimistic of gaining a good working majority” from the general elections.

“The prime minister used to be excited with our [previous] results,” said Mr. Mohammad, pointing to Mr. Najib’s comment on Jan. 21, 2012, when an earlier Umcedel’s poll pointed to a National Front victory.

But the election center’s Mr. Mohammad accused the government of playing politics, only criticizing polls that put it behind.

“It seems like you’re the enemy of the country if what you do isn’t favorable to the government,” he said.

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